Research
My research focuses on the built environment and material culture of Ancient Egypt and Sudan. The majority of my work has dealt with New Kingdom Egyptian material, particularly that of the late Eighteenth Dynasty.
I am currently engaged in a field project at Sesebi, Northern Sudan, co-directed with Dr Pamela Rose of the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Cairo. The site is a New Kingdom Egyptian colonial walled town with a large temple, housing a community dedicated at least in part to mining. I am also in the process of writing up fieldwork on the North Palace at Amarna.
My recent work at Amarna includes a heritage-oriented project Egypt Past and Present: Archaeological Heritage at Amarna that aims to facilitate cultural awareness and historical continuity for young audiences both in Egypt itself and internationally.
Key Publications
Key publications:
| [1] | Spence K.E.(2010). Establishing direction in early Egyptian burials and monumental architecture: Measurement and the spatial link with the 'other'. I. Morley and C. Renfrew (eds.), The Archaeology of Measurement: Comprehending Heaven, Earth and Time in Ancient Societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 170-179. |
| [2] | Spence K.E.(2010). Settlement structure and social interaction at El-Amarna. M. Bietak, E. Czerny and I. Forstner-Müller (eds.), Cities and Urbanism in Egypt. Vienna: Wien, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. 289-298. |
| [3] | Spence K.E.(2009). The Palaces of el-Amarna: Towards an architectural analysis. R. Gundlach and J.H. Taylor (eds.), Egyptian Royal Residences. 4th Symposium on Egyptian Royal Ideology Egyptian Royal Residences. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. 165-187. |
| [4] | Spence K.E.(2008). Topography, architecture and legitimacy: Hatshepsut's foundation deposits at Deir el-Bahri, T. Schneider and K. Szpakowska (eds.), Egyptian Stories: A British Egyptological Tribute to Alan B. Lloyd on the Occasion of His Retirement, Vol.347 (Alter Orient und Altes Testament.) Münster: Ugarit-Verlag. 353-372. |
Other publications:
Articles & Chapters
| [1] | Spence K.E. and Rose P. (2014). Fieldwork at Sesebi 2010. J. Anderson and D. Welsby (eds.), The Fourth Cataract and Beyond Proceedings of the 12th International Conference for Nubian Studies. Leuven: Peeters Pub & Booksellers. 409-416. |
| [2] | Spence K.E., Rose P., Bradshaw P., Collet P., Hassan A., Magginnis J., Masson A. and van Pelt P. (2011). Sesebi 2011. Sudan and Nubia, 15, 34-38. |
| [3] | Spence K.E., Sulas F. and Wynne-Jones S. (2011). Introduction. African Archaeological Review |
| [4] | Spence K.E.(2010). The 'Hall of Foreign Tribute' (S39.2) at El-Amarna. S. Ikram and A. Dodson (eds.), Beyond the Horizon: Studies in Egyptian Art, Archaeology and History in Honour of Barry Kemp. Cairo: AUC. 497-504. |
| [5] | Spence K.E.(2009). New fieldwork at Sesebi. Egyptian Archaeology, 35, 21-24. |
| [6] | Spence K.E., Rose P., Bunbury J., Clapham A., Collet P., Smith G. and Soderberg N. (2009). Fieldwork at Sesebi 2009. Sudan and Nubia, 13, 38-47. |
| [7] | Spence K.E.(2007). A contextual approach to Ancient Egyptian domestic cult: The case of the ‘lustration slabs’ at el-Amarna. D.A. Barrowclough and C.A.T. Malone (eds.), Cult in Context: Reconsidering Ritual in Archaeology. Oxford: Oxbow. 283-290. |
| [8] | Spence K.E.(2007). Architecture. T. Wilkinson (ed.), The Egyptian World. London: Routledge. 366-387. |
| [9] | Spence K.E.(2007). Court and palace in ancient Egypt: The Amarna period and later Eighteenth Dynasty. A.J.S. Spawforth (ed.), The Court and Court Society in Ancient Monarchies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 267-328. |
| [10] | Spence K.E.(2004). Royal walling projects in the second millennium BC: Beyond an interpretation of defence. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 14, 259-288. DOI: 10.1017/S0959774304230165. |
| [11] | Spence K.E.(2004). Houses. B. Fagan (ed.), The Seventy Great Inventions of the Ancient World. London: Thames and Hudson. 61-65. |
| [12] | Spence K.E.(2004). The three-dimensional form of the Amarna house. Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 90, 123-152. |
| [13] | Spence K.E.(2004). Stone architecture. B. Fagan (ed.), Seventy Great Inventions of the Ancient World. London: Thames and Hudson. 66-70. |
| [14] | Spence K.E.(2004). Early state and civilization. Antiquity, 78(302), 939-943. |
| [15] | Spence K.E.(2003). What became of Hatshepsut?. B. Manley (ed.), The Seventy Great Mysteries of Ancient Egypt. London: Thames and Hudson. 118-121. |
| [16] | Spence K.E.(2003). What is a pyramid for?. B. Manley (ed.), The Seventy Great Mysteries of Ancient Egypt. London: Thames and Hudson. 50-53. |
| [17] | Spence K.E.(2003). Are the pyramids aligned with the stars?. B. Manley (ed.), The Seventy Great Mysteries of Ancient Egypt. London: Thames and Hudson. 71-73. |
| [18] | Spence K.E.(2002). Tomb raider: The inside story of Khufu’s pyramid. TES Teacher |
| [19] | Spence K.E.(2001). Monumental problems: Who built late Egyptian temples and why?. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 11, 284-287. DOI: 10.1017/S0959774301290167. |
| [20] | Spence K.E.(2001). Astronomical orientation of the pyramids. Nature, 412, 699-700. DOI: 10.1038/35089140. |
| [21] | Spence K.E.(2000). The amazing invisible walls. Nekhen News, 12, 24. |
| [22] | Spence K.E.(2000). Ancient Egyptian chronology and the astronomical orientation of pyramids. Nature, 408, 320-324. DOI: 10.1038/35042510. |
| [23] | Spence K.E.(1999). The Great Temple of Abu Simbel. C.J. Scarre (ed.), The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How they were Built. London: Thames & Hudson. 105-107. |
| [24] | Spence K.E.(1999). Egyptian Obelisks. C.J. Scarre (ed.), The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How they were Built. London: Thames and Hudson. 263-266. |
| [25] | Spence K.E.(1999). The temples of Karnak. C.J. Scarre (ed.), The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How they were Built. London: Thames and Hudson. 104. |
| [26] | Spence K.E.(1999). The pyramids at Giza. C.J. Scarre (ed.), The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How they were Built. London: Thames and Hudson. 21-60. |
| [27] | Spence K.E.(1999). The Great Sphinx at Giza. C.J. Scarre (ed.), The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How they were Built. London: Thames and Hudson. 258-62. |
| [28] | Spence K.E.(1999). The Colossi of western Thebes. C.J. Scarre (ed.), The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How they were Built. London: Thames and Hudson. 267-270. |
| [29] | Spence K.E.(1999). The Valley of the Kings: The Tomb of Seti I. C.J. Scarre (ed.), The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How they were Built. London: Thames and Hudson. 56-60. |
| [30] | Spence K.E.(1999). The Pharos of Alexandria. C.J. Scarre (ed.), The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How they were Built. London: Thames and Hudson. 45-47. |
| [31] | Spence K.E.(1999). The North Palace at el-Amarna. Egyptian Archaeology, 15, 14-16. |
| [32] | Spence K.E., Gage J., Jones A., Bradley R., Barber E. and Taçon P. (1999). Red, white and black: Colour in building stone in Ancient Egypt. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 9, 114-117. |
Teaching and Supervisions
Research supervision:
Current Students:
Pedro Goncalves
Ana Tavares
Past Students:
Jenna Spellane
Paul Van Pelt
Sarah Strange
Kelly Accetta
